P6-Immigration & ICE

Program 6: Accountable Enforcement and Secure Border Act

Goal: refocus deportations on public-safety threats and recent arrivals, end the tactics a majority rejected, and close the trust gap on border security.

Components:

1. Statutory deportation priorities. Write enforcement priorities into law: people convicted of serious or violent crimes, national-security threats, and recent border crossers first. Long-time residents with jobs, U.S.-citizen family, and no criminal record become the lowest priority, with a path to apply for legal status.
2. Conditions on ICE funding. Tie future appropriations to quarterly public reporting on who is deported (conviction status, time in the U.S., country), so Congress and voters can see whether the priorities are followed.
3. Conduct standards for interior enforcement. ICE and CBP officers display visible identification and wear body cameras; face coverings only for defined safety needs.
4. Warrant and location limits. A judicial warrant to enter homes; limits on enforcement at schools, hospitals and places of worship, with exceptions for imminent threats.
5. Due process, detention and citizen safeguards. Prompt access to counsel and hearings, a required citizenship check before detention, a cap on detention tied to enforceable facility standards, and greater use of supervised alternatives for low-risk cases.
6. Independent oversight. A strengthened DHS inspector general, review of 287(g) agreements with local police, and public reporting on arrests, deaths in custody and complaints.
7. Border security and court capacity. Fund border personnel, screening technology at ports of entry, and more immigration judges to cut the case backlog.

Why the data supports it: 57% said enforcement had gone too far, and the issue helped return about 6 in 10 Hispanic voters to Democrats. But Republicans kept their edge on immigration, and early-2026 polling found voters preferred Republicans on border security (Fox News Poll). Reforming tactics without funding the border would leave that gap open for 2028. The priorities component follows the data directly: only about 20% of deportations involved convicted criminals, while support for deportation drops below half for long-time residents with no record. Abolishing ICE splits voters roughly evenly, so the program reforms the agency rather than eliminating it.

Bipartisan hook: border and immigration-court funding draws Republicans and border-district members; warrant and identification rules appeal to civil-liberties conservatives and Republicans representing heavily Hispanic districts.

Caution: opponents argue conduct rules hamper officers and put them at risk. The design keeps safety exceptions and pairs every restriction with new resources.

Success metric: a majority of deportations involve serious criminal convictions or recent arrivals; ICE’s unfavorable rating falls below 50%; and Democrats reach parity with Republicans on handling immigration.